Madrid, London, Paris, New York and Moscow are currently battling for the right to host the Olympic Games in 2012. Starting today and up until the announcement of the results on 9 July, Al-Ahram Weekly will give periodic updates on the latest news of the five bidding cities, as provided by the candidates themselves DEPUTY CEO and chief operating officer of Paris 2012 bid Essar Gabriel has said that Paris needed the Games because of the real passion the French have for the Olympics. "That's why our main slogan is the love of the Games," Gabriel told the Egyptian media at a press conference last week. "Eighty years ago, Paris hosted the Olympic Games in 1924 and if Paris was awarded that opportunity again, the world will see a different Paris, of course." Gabriel said that the concept for staging the Olympic Games in Paris is based on two venue clusters at the gates of Paris, leaving the heart of the city free for celebration and normal daily life. Referred to as a "contained but not constrained" concept, the Paris 2012 Olympic layout includes the Northern Cluster of venues around the Stade de France, the Western Cluster of venues around the Bosi fe Boulogne Park, a small number of non-cluster venues in Paris and the Ille-de-France region and existing venues in the provinces of France for football and sailing. "Boith veue clusters, representing 75 per cent of the medal competitions, are within six kilometres of the Olympic village," said Gabriel. "Travel times to all venues have been minimised as official transport systems will benefit from Olympic lanes and optimised traffic routes. "Eighty per cent of venues will be less than 10 minutes from the Olympic Village. For spectators, an extensive existing public transport network connects all venues." Gabriel also noted that priority has been given to the issue of existing venues and the number of permanent new venues is restricted to fulfilling genuine needs. "This Paris 2012 approach reflects a strong commitment to the environment and sustainable development, and a desire to avoid development of white elephants that would serve no long-term purpose for the community." Gabriel added that Paris was committed to hosting an Olympics that is cost-effective and sustainable, providing for the immediate construction of venues and operation of the Games while simultaneously creating a lasting legacy for all of France. "The Paris 2012 budgets were prepared based on elements provided by the IOC, with knowledge and expertise from the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and with the involvement of French and International experts. "The Paris 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games budget is relatively modest at less than $5 billion, thanks to the quality of the infrastructure, particularly regarding transport and accommodation," Gabriel added. When the officials for London's 2012 Summer Olympic bid make their final presentations to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Singapore on 6 July they will do so wearing clothes by leading fashion designer Jeff Banks. London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe welcomed the appointment of Banks as an example of Britain's leading position in the creative industries. Coe is quoted on London 2012's official web site as saying, "We're delighted to have Jeff on board. He is, after all, a British institution. He personifies the British can-do spirit, mentality and cutting-edge creativity. We are delighted to be working with him. He will represent Britain through design and manufacture and help us to bring the bid home". On the other hand, London 2012 won't be making a presentation to the general assembly of the Commonwealth Games Federation in Melbourne next month after all. The International Olympic Committee's Ethics Commission has stopped London's presentation after the commission's special representative Paquerette Girard Zappelli heard about it from a report in the Telegraph and raised the issue with Mike Hooper, chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation. Under IOC bidding rules, unless all the bid cities were allowed to make a presentation, London could not present on their own. Hooper said, "Our invitation to London was part of the historic tradition of Commonwealth bidding cities making a presentation to the general assembly. In the past this has caused no problems. What Zappelli told me was that the IOC have changed their rules. That is up to them. But we cannot have non-commonwealth countries making presentations to our general assembly," reports the Telegraph.
